EUBCE 2026 - Mengmeng ZHANG - High-Lutein Production by Low-Cost Microalgal Cultivation Under Brine-Assisted Wastewater Medium

High-Lutein Production by Low-Cost Microalgal Cultivation Under Brine-Assisted Wastewater Medium

Short Introductive summary

Lutein has gained a worldwide attention from both industrial and academic research owing to its well-established human health benefits. Microalgae with rapid growth and high yield are an emerging ideal source for lutein extraction. However, the substantial nutrient and water inputs required for large-scale cultivation of microalgae limit their practical application. In this work, a brine-wastewater cyclic system was developed to large-scale cultivate Chlorella pyrenoidosa SDEC-35 with lowcost. Under the optimal ratio of brine to wastewater, SDEC-35 still grew well in a brine-wastewater system for three consecutive cycles, all of which had biomass concentrations above 0.55 g/L. Notably, SDEC-35 exhibited a marked increase in lutein content relative to BG11 under long-term stress. The excellent antioxidant and antibacterial properties of the extracted lutein were also validated. Through carbon comparison and economic analysis, we believe that the use of a cyclic brine-wastewater system for large-scale cultivation of microalgae to porduct lutein presents a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative for the future.

M. Zhang, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. CHINA
M. Liu, Shandong University, Qingdao, P.R. CHINA
Y. He, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. CHINA
H. Pei, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. CHINA